Irish Examiner view: We cannot protest crime with crime

Protesting against a perceived lack of safety on our streets by committing crimes on our streets is a paradox which needs to be called out

Damage to the entrance of the Citywest Hotel. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The first point to be made about the scenes outside an accommodation centre for international protection applicants at the Citywest complex is a simple one. The rioting, violence, and intimidation seen there are completely unacceptable.

The obvious contradiction worth pointing out is that a large crowd of people, supposedly protesting about an alleged crime, were themselves responsible for a riot which saw a Garda van being burnt and gardaí being attacked with implements which were clearly brought along for that purpose.